1872 - Paul Lawrence Dunbar, African-American poet, novelist, and playwright, much of whose work was written in dialect.

1880 - Helen Keller, American author, educator, journalist, and political activist for the deaf and blind, for labor rights, and for women's suffrage; her early autobiography was adapted into several works about her; she was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor's degree

1906 - Catherine Cookson, British novelist, known for her fiction based in northeast England; she also wrote under the pen names Catherine Marchant and Katie McMullen, and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire; in her lifetime, was the top-selling UK novelist ever.

1951 - Anita Diamant, bestselling American author of non-fiction and fiction books; her works deal with issues of Jewish practice and the role of women; she is best known for her debut novel, The Red Tent.

1953 - Alice McDermott, National Book Award-winning American novelist, essayist, and professor.

1956 - Scott Cunningham, American author of books on Wicca, new age practices, and alternative religions.

1966 - J.J. Abrams, TV producer and writer, best known for Lost and Fringe.

1970 - Cecily von Ziegesar, American author best known for the Gossip Girl books.

1971 - Jo Frost, English nanny, television personality, and author of books on child rearing.

Catherine M. Petrini

Who Am I?

I am a published author of 28 books for children and young adults, a former magazine editor, and mom to an 8th-grader. My published works include 20 books for Sweet Valley High and other teen fiction series, all written under pseudonyms. My nonfiction kids' books, written under my own name, are on topics ranging from Dragons to Stonehenge to the Cherokee Indians. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, drawing, photography, traveling, overthrowing the governments of small countries, befriending dragons, slaying demons, and ruining my son's life by making him do his homework.